Victoria by Frassaï
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An elegant woody floral with an enticing fruity twist.
Victoria by Frassaï is not a fragrance I thought I would love by the description and the note listing. Despite my immense enjoyment of other fragrances by the House, I immediately wrote it off as another sweet, mass appealing fruity floral.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Structure of Victoria
To my nose, Victoria opens with a crisp, mouthwatering green litchi note. It is green and bitey and tart thanks – I think – to the note of litsea, which has a herbal-leaning lemon scent profile. Imagine breaking the fruit off the tree and crushing it in your hands, the juice of the fruit oozing over your hands and mingling with the green tree sap on your fingertips. Then you will have my experience of the initial opening of this fragrance. Refreshing and mouthwatering.
This invigorating opening begins to soften into a heady mix of florals bearing a hint of leatheriness to boost their carriage in the fragrance. This is an element that Frassaï execute very well in their fragrances (the use of leathery elements in Blondine, in particular, comes to mind: unexpected, yet perfectly balanced to the whimsical nature of that scent profile). They utilise leathery notes and accords to enhance the stars in each composition and give the fragrance more body, without turning it into a “leather fragrance”.
It is definitely woody, and the oud is very elegant and elevated – with a clipped air of sophistication (think a very well groomed person in a sleek suit). Accordingly, the woods transport this fragrance into the realm of being at home in very formal occasions, as much as it would be suitable for a casual Sunday brunch with friends.
How It Wears
The really interesting aspect of this fragrance is my experience of it changes depending on how I smell it. If I just allow the sillage to waft over me, I am immersed in a cloud of enigmatic, suede-textured romantic florals, supported by tart, green fruits with just a hint of woodiness. The official floral notes listed are tuberose and rose. The resulting effect is really a beautiful blend of soft, billowing florals that temper the sharpness of the green notes, fruits and woods.
However, if smelled up close and/or ‘oversprayed’, the woods and resins take the lead and the beautiful florals in Victoria take a backseat to the more brisk elements, particularly the tart fruits and oud.
I confess, I had someone tell me they thought this smelled like petrol and my immediate response was disappointment (for them) that they weren’t able to experience this fragrance as I do. However, more recently I have been wearing this in the cooler weather and I have started to pick up on some interesting elements in the very opening, which leads me to a better understanding of where their impression came from. I don’t necessarily perceive petroleum, but I am definitely detecting a plant-derived terpenic aspect. Although, again, this is more noticeable when I overdo it with the application. Overall, it does not hamper my enjoyment of this fragrance and I am still forging ahead through my bottle at a rate of knots.
About Frassaï
Frassaï is an Argentinian House founded by Natalia Outeda in 2013. The brand focusses on “slow perfume”. Creating fragrances through deep reflection and appreciation of sensorial and emotional experiences. They adopt a considered, mindful approach to manufacturing and curation of every element of their fragrances.
Closing Thoughts on Victoria
Surprise love!
Victoria is an enveloping, intoxicating wear that oozes sophistication…but it’s not all boardrooms and crisp suits, there is a playful element too.
You will likely enjoy this if you are like me and your nose gravitates towards florals and green, sappy, herbal & woody elements. Furthermore, if you prefer to go easy on the trigger, you will probably find the wear of this fragrance most enjoyable. That said, this is a robust fragrance IMO and you simply don’t need to apply that much. On me it lasts all day and has easily moderate projection, at least in the first few hours.
Notes
Top: Petitgrain, Pink Lychee Jungle Essence™, Litsea Cubeba
Mid: Morning Rose, Tuberose Absolute, Styrax
Base: Olibanum, Oud, Patchouli, Castoreum
Fragrance bottle purchased myself.
Original sample kindly gifted to me by my scented sister, Emma (check out her Instagram @scentobsessedemma)
You can also hear me talk about Victoria in a few of my videos, two of which I have posted below: